To My Sistah K

Happy Birthday Katie! 

Sadly this is the first year that I have not been able to spend her birthday with her, but we still hope you have a great one!

Katie is an amazing sister to me. Even though I stole her clothes, tattled on her, copied her, bugged her she still put up with me:) Thanks for always being there!!

Miss you:)

It's the Simple Things

Okay, so this post is supposed to be about my canning adventures...but it isn't. I have all the tools and ingredients which are not collecting dust or mold sitting on my counter. I got beginners jitters and gave in and ordered the "canning bible". I will fulfill this self promise as soon as it arrives with its wonderful pages full of step by step pictures and tutorials.

In the mean time I have realized that it is the simple things in life that make me happy...

• Dave having a steady and flexible job. Although he still likes to tap on my veins to see if I have any "good ones." 
• Dave only has less than a month until he graduates! He has worked so hard this semester and only falls asleep doing homework half of the time...which he thinks I don't notice:)
• Having reliable friends to talk to.
• My parents who not only predict my daily phone calls, but look forward to them! Little do they know how boring their lives would be with me!
• We now get one more channel and it is in English.
• Pointless job interviews. I am now confident enough with my answers that I don't say UM every other word. Still no job, but at least I am getting practice.
• Teaching my Sunday School class. It is a great group and as soon as I learn not to procrastinate til Saturday night in preparing Dave will be a lot happier.
• Maintenance workers...my complex has such friendly workers and even though they only speak one key phrase that I can understand it is still nice to know they are there. Especially when Dave tries to rewire the light switches...
• Reading...can't get enough of it. I joined a book club last week and it was fabulous. I realize I used to make fun of my mom for being in one and now I am eating my words:)
• Cooking good food. We have really found some great recipes lately!  Although our kitchen looks like a tornado after and I have used all of our utensils in the process. 
• Dave. I don't want to make his ego any larger than it already is, but he is so good to me. 
• Patience...seems like I am learning to use it more and more.
• Family...even though I favor my niece:) I appreciate all of them!
• Last but not least I am learning to stick up for myself. Never saw it as a lacking quality until I hit the "real world"!

I usually never write that much, but this has been a week of reflection and realizing what I am grateful for.

Now for some highlights...

Dave's mom gave us a gift card to the Olive Garden...yummy! 

*Dave is always embarrassed to take pictures...hence the crossed arms and half smile:)

 He would die if he saw this...good thing he never gets on here!

I made absolutely the best strawberry sauce/syrup. We poured it over french toast and ate in silence we were loving it so much!

Where did I put all the jars I made...

That's right folks I am excited about a brand new FREEZER! What my life is becoming:)

I finally finished the "welcome packets" for my ward!

Had to post this. Dave has faithfully been doing P90X. Even though he works out instead of helping with dinner I can't wait for the results:)

Dave has the next five days off! That means I can expect a few breakfasts in bed and foot rubs right?:)

HELLO...Carbs!

I think that the past week I accomplished more with my time than I did during the past four years(probably because none of it included taking a nap)! I have been determined to learn the classic motherly skills that I admire my mom for. Dave has enjoyed the benefits of my newly acquired skills, but our refrigerator, counter space and freezer are bursting now!

First on my list was BREAD... boy did I make bread!

Caraway Seed Pretzels...Dave was not a fan which just meant more for ME!

 

Banana Bread...I used wheat flour so they were flat, but you couldn't even tell. Or I should say picky Dave couldn't:)

Mashed Potato Wheat Bread...WOW. That is all I can say.

 

Old Fashioned Wheat Bread. My neighbor and I tackled this one. It was a definite success.

You might be thinking what are they doing with all that bread over there? There was only one solution...

Macaroni Grill's Dipping Mix. Delicious!

Second on my list was to SEW. I have never been awful at it I just have always had my mom nearby to finish my projects:) I wanted to make my little niece something fun and this is what I came up with...

 

 

Don't you think she will love it!

Took all day...my poor neighbor who had to deal with me has the patience of a saint and helped me carry it out. Big thanks to her!

Next on my list is to CAN. I almost laugh at the thought of me actually wanting to do this. All the years my mom tried to teach me are coming back to bite me! I am going to try and do pasta sauce. Hopefully that will be on my next post!

Last weekend Dave and I went to Albuquerque to go to the temple. It was a long day making the trip all in one day, but it was beautiful weather!

I went to a baby shower and and pulled out a little bit of creativity as well.

I must say that the highlight of the week was when we went to go get gelato. For those of you who are not familiar it is Italian ice cream that comes in small scoops. This was a problem for Dave from the second we walked in (he goes for the largest size at coldstone). I order my scoop and go sit down. Dave is taking forever and then I see him walk over with literally a boat of ice cream! Everyone was looking of course and how someone could even want that much. Also with gelato comes a small spoon that was not going to work for Dave either. We would have been there the whole night. The owner came over and gave him a large spoon.

I think that it was a first for everyone that night!

 

Whatever makes him happy right!?

We topped everything off with a caramel crepe...must say my dad's were much better, but this was a close second.

Dave worked everyday this week picking up extra shifts so I surprised him with flowers! I think I will stick to man things for him next time he was not very thrilled:) 

It is OFFICIAL! I have my diploma...finally!

Well, that is all we have been up to. The weather is starting to really warm up here and I think "winter" is over for us!

p.s. We are headed to Idaho in exactly one month for a whole week! I never thought the day would come when I would look forward to going back to Idaho:)